Gear-shift-lever lock



J. WITTE GEAR SHIFT LEVER LOCK Filed April 25, 1926 1/ IIIIIIII III Imam 7m @1147 M717 fe Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

,UNITEDQSTATES JOHN WIT'IE, 0F FERGUSON, vMISSOURI.

EAESHiFT- LEVER Loc K.

Applicationfiled Apr-i123, 1926. Serial -No. 104,088.

My invention relatesto locks and isparticularly adapted for use in connection with automobile gear shiftlever locks. 1 1

In one type of such locks, suchas is illus trated in my PatentNo. 1,464,859 theshift lever and a locking element "have relative movement to each other and; are adapted when ina certainlposition toprevent operment are provided witha key lock forholding them in the position in whi ch the movementof the gear shift lever is prevented It has been demonstrated that where there is play between the lever and the lock element it is possible to wiggle the 'two' members, i and by a suitable manipulation to gradually disengage the pin or bolt of the a key look from the recess intowhi'ch it projects.

The object of my present invention is to' produce it a' locking structure inwhich this disadvantage is eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a vertical section through a lock of the type referred to and showing the gear shift lever and the adjacent shift rods and their casing on which the lever is mounted. t

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the key lock element and the adjacent portion of the lever which is engaged by the key lock element.

The gear shift lever is shown at 1 as be ing of a straight cylindrical member and is pivoted on the transmission casing 2 by a ball and socket joint including a pin 3. The lock member includes a block 4 having a sleeve 5 which surrounds the lower portion of'the lever and the block may be slid on the lever from the dot-anddash line position indicated in Figure 1 to the solid line position in which the lower portion of the sleeve 5 enters between'the shift rods 6 and by engaging both of these rods prevents the tilting and operation of the shift lever. The block 4' is retained in this position by means of the pin 7 which forms the lock bolt of a key lock indicated gener ally by the letter K. Bolt 7 enters a suitable recess 8 in the gear shift lever and holds block 4 in its shift rod engagingposition. When the key of the lock is turned to retract bolt 7 from itsvrecess in the lever the spring 9 moves the block upwardly and tioned patent} "the lever is then operable. Au of the stave 1s set forth and claimed in my'above-men" v p Qa nd in' the lever in which the bolt moves. ation of the shift lever. The "lever and e'le-/ alignftheiaxis of bolt 7 with theaxis of recess in the gear shiftlevenfit ispossible "to 'frictionally engage opposite'sides of the bolt along successive points so as tdgradually workl the lock bolt out of the recess. 8

(notwithstanding the thrust of the bolt spring lO) until thej'pinf is disengaged from the lever, and the block may be moved'upwar-dly intoa non-operativeposition. I

To prevent such tampering of the device,

I have devisedjthe structure detailed in which thefproj'ec'ting end of 'bolt7" hasa shoulder 11 formed thereon facing the body of the bolt. wall provided with an oppositely facing shoulder 12. The shoulder in the wall of the recess can be easily formed by an offcenter drill adapted' for such purpose, or by a small circular saw insertedthrough Recess 8 in the lever has its the recess entrance and rotated with itsaxis disaligned from the axis of the recess. 7

The annular shoulder 11 on pin 7 may extend all about the latter as the pin is frequently T round and rotatable. Preferably the shoulder 12 on the recess wall is less than one hundred eighty degrees in extent, thereby'lessening the chance of resistance to the withdrawal of the pin by the mechanism of lock K. However, manipulation of the block and lever, as described above, will result inthe interenga'gement of shoulders 11 and 12 and prevent the withdrawal of the pin from the recess. The annular groove on the recess wall could be'rnade continuousif desired and this would not prevent the authorized withdrawal of the pin as the diameter of the end of the pin is less than the diameter of the entrance to the recess.

Such construction, however, might necessitate a single shifting of the block and lever so as to align the pin and recess axes when 7 I have described-my invention :as appliedto a particular type of lock, I contemplate the use thereof in connection With locks other than the particular kinddesc ribed but with 5 which the same objectionable tampering is possible.

I claim: 1. In a device of the class described, a shift lever havinga transverse -recess,a-lock- ,ingmember slidable on said lever [and including a'lo'ck bolt adapted to enter saidvrecess,wand elements on thesides of said recess alandlboltdnormally out of contact with each .ot-lier but adapted tointerengage for im- ;'ped-ingxmovement of said'bolt ffroms'aidlre- ,cess when said .member and said lever .are;

manipulated so as to 'disalign the-.aXes'of said recess anjd'bolt. r :-2.FIn a device of the class'described a ioshiftleverlhaving a transverse recess wall element,:a lo'ckrpinvelement adapted to enter Tsai'drecess, lateral recesses insaid elements Qpresenting surfaces facing in opposite directionsiaxially ofisaidelements and adapted to ,interengage only when said elements are moved out of their normal position.

73.1111 a'fdevice ofx'the class described,a lever h avinga transverse cylindrical recess, ancylindrica'l loek pin adapted "to enter-said QI-rece'ss,there beingr'an annular groove in the side Wall of said recess and there being an annular groovein theperiphery of the portion of said pin which projects into said re- 'cess,tl1e diameter of the outer edge of said groove being'no-greater than the diameter of the lock pin at either side of said groove.

'4. "In-combination, a longitudinal bar having a recess, a block movable on said bar and adapted when ina certain position to hold said barraga-ins-t operative movement, a-key lokin said'block including a lock bolt-movable into said recess, there being elements'on ,said .bar and bolt adapted to engage each otheronly-xvh'en said bar and block are'jtilted to displace said bolt from a normal position in said recess. a 4

'5. "In combination, a longitudinalbair havinga recess a'block mov-able' on said bar and :adapted when in a certain jposition'to hold said bar against operative movement, a key lockin. saidblock including'a loc'k'bolt movable into said recess, said recess'h'avi'ng'an inwardly facing shoulder onone side and a smooth surface opposite said shoulder, and said'bolt having a shoulder adapted toengagesaid recess shoulder only \vh'ensaid.

bolt-is tilted and moved'longitudinally outwardly of said recess at an angle to'thefaxis 01? said recess.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aHiX my signature this 19th day 6fAprilj1926.

JOHNWITTE. 

